steering bearing service

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ckahleer

Active member
Joined
Apr 15, 2020
Messages
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Location
Richmond, VA
Hi all,
I picked up a 1977 GL1000 a few weeks ago. It had been not running and sitting outside for a few years, so I need to go through everything.
I'm finding difficulty finding info on servicing the steering bearings. the steering is very hard to turn.
Can someone provide instructions or video on this? Also timing belt replacement instructions.
Thanks.
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=216870#p216870:3o223ia4 said:
AApple » Wed Apr 29, 2020 6:48 am[/url]":3o223ia4]
Service procedure and specs for the steering head bearings are in the Honda Service Manual here.
:good:
 
[url=https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=216853#p216853:2r1799ok said:
ckahleer » Tue Apr 28, 2020 1:41 pm[/url]":2r1799ok]
Hi all,
I picked up a 1977 GL1000 a few weeks ago. It had been not running and sitting outside for a few years, so I need to go through everything.
I'm finding difficulty finding info on servicing the steering bearings. the steering is very hard to turn.
Can someone provide instructions or video on this? Also timing belt replacement instructions.
Thanks.
heres a video i did on belt replacement. it's not the definitive method. just the way i do them.
 
Thanks for all your helpful replies. I'll tackle the steering head bearings this weekend. Maybe get to the belts too.
The bike has 25K miles on it. I don't know if the belts have ever been changed.
Is there a check I can do to determine if the belts are still serviceable, or just change them no mater how they look.
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=216898#p216898:2aie26pu said:
ckahleer » Thu Apr 30, 2020 1:18 am[/url]":2aie26pu]
Thanks for all your helpful replies. I'll tackle the steering head bearings this weekend. Maybe get to the belts too.
The bike has 25K miles on it. I don't know if the belts have ever been changed.
Is there a check I can do to determine if the belts are still serviceable, or just change them no mater how they look.
Just change them. That way you know unless someone has changed them and been good enough to note the service date inside the cover etc. I changed my timing belts on the Valkyrie even though they were still serviceable according to Honda. I didn’t like the idea of 21 year old timing belts even though they looked really good. :yes:
 
It isn't hard. I use a 1" x 1' aluminum rod with a big washer bolted to the end to tap out the outer races with a small ball peen hammer. The lower inner race requires careful slotting with a moto tool and those small brittle abrasive disks you can get (big box stores). As you carefully cut closer and closer to the stem, you might hear a "tink" as the metal opens and it can dlde off. Otherwise you might need to tap a wedge (screwdriver, chisel) into the cut to do the final separation. Save the races the came off to use in tapping (lightly and patiently) the new races in.
 
I removed the steering head today and there are roller bearings in there. According to the manual, a 77 should have ball bearings.
Could Honda have made a change mid year? Not complaining, as it seems roller bearings will be easier.
 

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Someone probably installed an all balls kit

Sent from my LM-X420 using Tapatalk
 
Just to show how bad even roller bearings can get when abused, this is the lower inner race from a '79 CB750F (identical head bearings, stems, heads to a GL1000):
WP_20180923_16_42_31_Pro.jpg
 
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